Much of Yunnan's rich cultural
and ecological diversity is due to the isolation of local
cultures and ecosystems within Yunnan's river valleys. In
fact, many of Asia's great rivers, from the Yangzi to the
Mekong to the Pearl, rush through Yunnan and have carved
fertile but isolated river valleys into the mountaineous
terrain. This geography has helped preserve the varied
cultures of Yunnan's 26 ethnic minorities. But a negative
consequence of this isolation is the province’s impeded
industrial development which has lagged far behind other
coastal regions of China. Rich in their own traditional
culture, many segments of these minority groups have also
lagged behind in the overall economic boost that has benefited
the living conditions in the rest of China.
Yunnan’s geographic isolation
and lack of industry has not only resulted in limited economic
opportunities in many of the province’s counties but has also
led to large scale migration by low income workers from rural
Yunnan to the capital city of Kunming. Poverty is pervasive
in both the countryside and among the migrant worker community
in Kunming. This has left many children in a position where
they don’t have access to the kind of education necessary to
escape the poverty they are growing up in.
Why Volunteer With
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